Rescue Me
by docsangel
Summary: When Bella is kicked out of her house for the night into the wintery cold, a stranger comes to her rescue. Will he be her savior or will she go back to the hell she thought she was trapped in?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Get out!" Jake yells. I cower back and go to grab my coat when he grabs it. "Did I tell you to get a coat? Get out!" he yells again. I walk out in just a pair of tennis shoes, jeans and my sweater. He starts chasing me out the door. Once out the door, he says "Maybe a night in the cold will make you think twice about talking back to me." before walking back inside. I wrap my arms around myself and make my way down the street. This isn't the first time that Jake has kicked me out for the night. I usually end up hidden in an alley with a dumpster shielding me from the wind or at the park with the homeless hunkered around a fire barrel to keep warm. I walk down the street, hoping to find a quiet alley to hide in when I find myself outside of Harlem's Paradise.

I walk down the alley, thinking that I can hide behind the dumpster and no one would find me. Surely no one goes through the back door here. I slide behind the dumpster and sit down on the ground letting the dumpster shield me from most of the wind. It's colder than normal tonight. Maybe I'll get lucky and freeze to death tonight. That couldn't be worse than getting beaten and raped and then kicked out when you don't perform right.

I know it's nearing 2am because I can hear the club clearing out. I start to cough but try to muffle it when I hear someone coming out the back door. "Who's there?" the man's voice says. I freeze. Maybe if I stay quiet, they won't know I'm there. "I said who's there?" the voice calls again. I hear footsteps and try to hide. "Who are you?" the man asks. I don't look up. "I asked you a question." he says. "B-Bella S-Sir." I stutter. "What's going on?" another voice asks. "There's a girl behind the dumpster." the first man says. "Bring her out." the second man says. The first man grabs my arm and the second one looks at me and asks him "You do that to her?" The first man looks at him and says "No sir." The second man walks up and sees me looking at my feel and says "Look at me." I look up but don't meet his eyes. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. "Just trying to get out of the wind, sir." I say quietly. "Take her inside." he says and the first man leads me to the door.

Once inside, he leads me to the bar and tells me "Sit." I sit on the barstool and look down at the floor with my hands in my lap. The second man walks over and tilts my head up so he can look at my face and asks "Who's handiwork is this?" I don't answer. "I asked you a question sweetheart." he says softly. "My boyfriend." I say softly. "Let me talk to her alone." He tells the first man and he walks away. Sitting on the barstool next to me he asks "Why were you sitting behind the dumpster?" Not looking up from my hands I say "My boyfriend kicked me out for the night. I didn't have anywhere else to go." I say as a tear falls down my face. I quickly wipe it away and he asks "How long have you been with him?" Rubbing my hands on my jeans, I say "A year." He hands me a cup of coffee to warm me up. "He hits you and kicks you out in the cold. Why do you stay?" he asks. "I don't have anywhere else to go." I say. He is quiet for a minute before saying, "You do now. Are you working?" he asked. "No sir." I say. "We'll work something out." he says and I feel the tears falling again.

He calls a man over and says "This is Quinton. He's our driver. He's going to take us home and tomorrow we will take you to get your things." I just nod and say "Thank you sir." I quickly wipe the tears from my face and he asks "Why are you crying?" Still not looking at him, I ask "Why are you helping me?" Tilting my face up to look at him, he says "Because this happening is unacceptable. What's your last name Bella?" he asked. "Ford." I say. "I'm Shades Alvarez." he says. "Nice to meet you sir." I say softly.

A few minutes later, he puts his coat around me and leads me out to an SUV. Ushering me in, he gets in beside me and says "Take us home Quinton." The driver nods and pulls away from the curb. "Where are you taking me?" I asked. "Home." Shades says. "You don't even know me." I say softly. "Yet you willingly came with me." he says and I don't say anything else. Pulling up to a nice house, it's not quite a mansion but pretty close, the back door opens and Shades gets out. Holding out his hand, I take it and he gently helps me out of the SUV. Walking up to the house with his hand on the small of my back, he leads me into a large foyer area. Taking his coat, he puts it in the closet over to the side. Leading me into the living room, he says "Have a seat." He walks over to a cabinet and pulls out a first aid kit. Sitting beside me, he cleans up my face and says "You're not going back to him." Still not looking him in the eye, I say "Yes sir." Sighing, he says "No more calling me sir." I don't say anything.

Once he cleans the cuts on my face, he leads me upstairs and shows me to a bedroom. Wondering if he's going to make me service him like Jake does, he says "You'll be staying in this room. There's clothes on the bed that should fit you to sleep in and a change of clothes for in the morning." Finally looking up at him but still not reaching his eyes, I say "Thank you Shades. I promise I'll figure something out soon." He steps forward and tells me "You already did." Kissing my forehead, he says "Good night Bella." Before he makes it to the door, I say "Good night Shades."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I lay in the bed all night awake, scared to go to sleep. I get up and get dressed in the clothes that Shades had brought in for me and walk out to where I remember the kitchen being. The coffee is already brewed and I sit at the island with my hands in my lap and my head down until I'm told I can get something to drink. I hear someone walk into the kitchen but I don't look up. "Good morning Bella." Shades says. "Good morning." I say but don't look up. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked. "Yes please." I say softly. He places a cup of coffee in front of me and I wait until I'm told to drink it. "You can drink it." he tells me. I take the cup in my hand and take a drink. "Are you hungry?" He asked. "No thank you." I say. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked. "I promise I'm fine." I say softly, still not looking at him. He walks over and tilts my head to look at him and says "You're safe here. If you want something to drink or eat, then get it. You're home now." he tells me. "I promise I'll find a job soon. Thank you Shades." I say. "Just take some time to get yourself straight." he says.

An hour later, the one he calls Quinton shows up. Still standing beside me, he says "Bella, I want you to show us where the house is. We'll get your things and your ex and I will have a conversation. You make sure either myself or Quinton are next to you. Do you understand?" he asked. "Yes." I say simply. "Don't interact with him. You get your things as fast as you can." he tells me and I say "Okay."

We pull up in front of the house and I tense up. Taking my hand, he squeezes my hand and says "Just stay by one of us. We won't let him hurt you again." he says. "Okay." I say. Walking up to the front door, Shades knocks. Jake opens the door and sees Shades. "Who are you?" Jake asks. "Doesn't matter who I am. We're here to get Bella's things." Shades says. He looks around and sees me next to Quinton. "You cheating on me?" Jake asks. "No. She's not." Shades says and pushes his way into the house. Quinton ushers me inside and Shades says "Go pack your things Sweetheart." I walk down the hall and Quinton stands guard outside my bedroom door while I pack. I grab everything I can before handing both duffle bags to Quinton. "This everything?" Quinton asks and I nod. He leads me back through the living room and I hear Shades tell him "Bella's my girl now. You don't contact her. You don't look at her. You don't even think about her or I will come back for you. Understand?" Jake nods. Shades lets him go and straightens his suit jacket before walking out the door and getting into the SUV next to me. "Are you okay?" Shades asks. "Yes. Thank you." I say.

Walking into the house, Quinton takes my things to my room that Shades is letting me stay in. He leads me to the couch and says "This is your home. You don't have to be scared here. I won't hurt you and neither will any of my men. If you need to go somewhere, Quinton will take you." he tells me. "Thank you. I promise I will be out of here soon." I say. "No you won't. You are home." he tells me. "Thank you. I honestly thought I would have to go back to him." I say. "You will never have to go back to him again." he says. "Why did you tell him I was your girl?" I asked. "You're a beautiful woman. You don't deserve to be treated like that. But I have to ask. What all did he do to you?" he asks softly. Looking back at my hands, he takes my hand in his and says "You can tell me. It's okay." Taking a deep breath, I say "He would beat me and rape me and if I didn't perform the way he wanted, he'd throw me out of the house for the night to teach me a lesson." I tell him. Tilting my face up to look at him, he says "I will never hurt you. Nor will anyone else." I feel a tear fall and he wipes it away. "Let's order dinner." he says. "I'm fine. Thank you though. I'd like a shower if that's okay." I say. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked. "I only eat every couple of days." I tell him. "You have your own bathroom. Get a shower and I'll order food. You need to eat." he tells me and I nod. I head up to my room and get into the shower and the hot water feels amazing. I still hadn't thawed out from the night before.

After my shower, I get dressed in a pair of leggings and a button down that I normally sleep in and walk back to the living room. Not finding him there, I head to the kitchen and hear him talking to Quinton. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." I say as I try to walk out of the room thinking I was interrupting something important. "Come here, Bella." Shades says. I walk over like he tells me to and he says "You didn't interrupt anything important. Quinton was just dropping off our dinner. Have a seat." he tells me. I sit down and see him place a plate of lasagna in front of me with a yeast roll and a glass of wine. "Thank you. Maybe in the morning I can cook breakfast for you if that's okay." I say. "You like to cook?" He asked. "I love to cook and bake." I say. "Well, consider this kitchen yours. This is your home. If you want to cook, cook. If you want to bake, bake." he says before kissing my forehead and sitting next to me to eat.

After dinner, we sit in the living room talking and getting to know each other better. He has a glass of scotch and I have a glass of wine. "Where did you learn to cook?" he asked. "I was raised by my grandmother and she always told me that to get a good man you have to satisfy his stomach." I tell him, remembering fondly. He laughs and says "That's very true. You don't sound like you were raised in Harlem." He says. "I was raised in a small town in Georgia. Dad took off and Mom died when I was little so my grandparents raised me. They were amazing." I tell him. "So is Bella short for something?" he asked. "Arabella. Named after my great grandmother." I tell him. "It's beautiful." he tells me. "Thank you." I say. "How did you end up in Harlem?" he asked. "When my grandparents died, I didn't have anything there to stay for. I kept to myself but it being a small town, everyone knew everything you did. I wanted to go somewhere that I could blend in and disappear." I tell him. "Disappear? Why?" he asks. "I've always been shy. I just thought it was better for me to not be seen." I tell him. "How did you end up with your ex?" he asked. "We worked together. My roommate was getting married and her fiance was moving in so that meant I had to move out. He had an extra room and rented it to me but after a few months, he asked me to move into his room and be his girl. He talked me into quitting my job and letting him handle the bills. I cleaned the house, did all the laundry, made him breakfast every day, packed his lunch and made sure dinner was on the table when he walked in the door. I was the epitome of a stepford wife without the title." I tell him. "Wow. When did he start hurting you?" Shades asks. "About three months in, after I quit my job, he told me he was going out with friends and came home late. I was still up when he came in and he had a hickey on his neck and I confronted him about it. He told me that he pays the bills and that if he wants to have some fun on the side that's his business, not mine and when I told him I was leaving, he slammed me against the wall and started choking me until I passed out. When I woke up he was on top of me, raping me. It just progressed from there." I tell him. "Shit. That won't happen to you again." he tells me. "Tell me something about you." I say. "My first name is Hernan. I grew up here in Harlem. Busted my ass to stay alive until I went to prison. Once I got out, I hooked up with a prominent player here in Harlem and this is where I am now." he says.

We talk a little more and before I know it, it's time for bed. We head to our respective rooms but before I walk into my room, he takes my hand and pulls me closer. Kissing my lips softly, he says "Tomorrow we'll talk more. I have plans for you sweetheart." he tells me and I just nod. Getting into bed, I curl up under the covers and think about what he just said and that kiss. It was soft and sweet. But what plans does he have for me?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, I wake up, shower and dress. Heading to the kitchen, I start pulling out everything that I need to make breakfast. Biscuits, gravy, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. Shades walks in as I am finishing cooking and sits at the island. "That smells amazing." he tells me. I put his plate in front of him along with his coffee and go back for mine. I don't put but a few bites on my late. He looks at my plate and then me before getting up and putting more food on my plate. A few minutes later, Quinton walks in with Bruno. "Guys, grab a plate. There's plenty." Shades tells them. I finish eating and while the guys are eating, I start cleaning the kitchen. "Bella, have a seat so I can fill you in on the plans." Shades tells me. "You've heard the name Diamondback?" he asks. "I have." I say. You can't live in Harlem and not know who Diamondback is. "Do you know who he is?" Shades asks. "He's a huge player here in Harlem. Word is he's trying to take over." I say. "That's right but have you seen Diamondback?" he asks and I shake my head no. "What I am about to tell you, doesn't leave this group." he tells me and I say "Of course." He looks at Quinton and then at me and says "I'm Diamondback." Shades looks at me to gauge my reaction. I actually look him in the eyes and say "So what's the plan?" He smiles at me and says "I plan on taking over Harlem and taking Cottonmouth and Mariah Dillard down." he tells me. "Are you wanting to control Harlem or Rule it?" I ask. He looks at me amused. Quinton looks at me confused and asks "What's the difference?" I look at him and say "If he controls Harlem, people will fear him, sure but that doesn't mean they respect him and it's all about power. If he rules Harlem, that means that not only will people fear him but they will respect him because he's found that balance of good and evil, that the power is as much about giving back as it is taking from them." I tell him. "Damn, Shades. Your girl's smart as hell." Bruno says. "That she is." he says a little shocked. Guys, I'll fill her in on everything and call when we are ready to go." Shades says and they excuse themselves.

Still sitting at the island, he looks at me for a minute. "You really are more than you seem." he says. "I'm really not." I tell him. "Yes, you are. Tell me what you think about Cottonmouth and Mariah." he tells me. Taking a deep breath, I say "Cottonmouth thrives on control. He has to feel that he is the king of Harlem when everyone just sees him as a money hungry, greedy snake in the grass. He doesn't care who he hurts to get what he wants. But, as much as he thinks he's a prominent player, he's really not." I tell him. "How's that?" Shades asks. "He gets the majority of his funding from Mariah. She gets the funds by moving around budgets and shifting funds around but still having to be careful that no one catches on that she's laundering money. But the downfall to that is that she can only get him certain amounts and even that takes time. Mariah thrives off of her ego. She has to feel like she's the only pulling the strings and controlling everything. The minute either of them feel that their control is lost, they will start making mistakes." I tell him. "Wow. So, any ideas on how to take them down?" he asks curious of my answer. I think about it for a minute before answering. "With Cottonmouth, if he were to have an offer from someone that could offer a larger amount of funds, instantly, he could be convinced that taking the offer would show that he's a more prominent player than he currently is and that means more money and more money means more power and that taking this offer takes the heat off of Mariah getting caught." I tell him. "That's not a bad idea. What about Mariah?" he asks. "When she catches wind that she's not needed anymore, she will fight to get him back on her side and when he sees that there's more money and more power, he will fight back and they will take each other down." I tell him. He looks at me and I see pride in his eyes. I look down at my hands and he tilts my head up and says "You are definitely my girl." before he kisses me softly. He tries to deepen the kiss just a little and I let him. I realize what I'm doing and pull away. "I'm sorry." I whisper. "Look at me." He says softly. I look up and he says "You didn't do anything wrong. Not at all." I nod and he says "But, I am going to kiss you again." He leans in and kisses me one more time and I let him deepen the kiss again. It's been so long since I've been kissed.

A little later, Quinton and Bruno are back and Shades is filling them in on the plan and told them that it was all my idea. "We'll set up a meeting at HP for tomorrow night. VIP area?" Quinton asks. "Yeah. That's fine." he says to Quinton. Turning to me he says "We need to do some shopping for you Princess." I look at him confused and he says "It's your idea. Only right you're there on my arm." He kisses me softly and we head out to the car to do a little shopping.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shades leads me out to the car, helping me in, we head out shopping. Walking into one of the local stores, "Mr Alvarez, how can I help you today?" she asks. "We have a party to go to tonight and I want my girlfriend to have prime treatment." he says. I look at him and he whispers "I said you're my girl." The young woman nods at Hernan and says "Right this way." I follow her and she leads me to a chair. Forty minutes later, my hair is done in an elegant updo. She moves in front of me and says "Close your eyes. Don't open them until I'm done." I nod. She does my makeup and next thing I know she says "Open your eyes." I open my eyes and look in the mirror. Subtle smokey eye, soft red lips and lightly blushed cheeks. "Follow me. Time to find you a dress." she says. I follow her in and she looks at me a minute and pulls out a dress. It's black and form fitting. The bottom is mid calf with a slit up to mid thigh. It has a low v-neckline and the back comes down mid back. I step into a pair of black stilettos and she lets me look in the mirror. "Oh my God." I say. "You look beautiful. Mr Alvarez won't be able to keep his hands off of you." she says and I tear up a little. "What's wrong?" she asks. "Nothing. Just...I've never felt this pretty before." I tell her.

She leads me back out to Shades and when he looks up, he takes his sunglasses off and really looks at me. "Do I look okay?" I ask shyly. He walks up to me and cups my face, making me look at him and he says "You look perfect." before he kisses my lips softly. "Thank you Shades." I say. "Hernan. You can call me Hernan." he says and I nod. Taking my hand, he leads me out to the car. Seeing Quinton and Bruno standing there, Quinton says "You look beautiful Ms Ford." I lower my head, shyly and say "Thank you Quinton." I get into the car and Hernan gets in behind me.

Walking into Harlem's Paradise, I am on Hernan's arm. Walking up the VIP stairs, he whispers, "Just stay close to me. I'll do the talking but stay close." he tells me and I nod. Walking into the VIP area, we are greeted by Cottonmouth. "Cornell. Nice to see you again." Hernan says. "Wish I could say the same. Who is this lovely creature here?" he asks. Hernan pulls me closer and says "This is my Lady, Bella." he introduces me. "Well, hello Ms Bella. You look absolutely stunning." he tells me. "Thank you." Is all I say. Hernan walks me over to one of the chairs to sit in and Bruno stays next to me. Hernan walks over to Cottonmouth and they start talking. He tells Cottonmouth the offer that I suggested and he was on board hook, line and sinker.

Thirty minutes later, Hernan walks over to me and asks, "Are you ready to go Princess?" I look up at him and nod. He takes my hand and helps me to stand and as we leave the VIP area, I hear Cottonmouth call out. "Lovely meeting you Bella." I don't respond. We walk out of the club and straight to the car. Once inside, I start to relax a little. Hernan laces his fingers with mine and kisses my knuckles. "You did great baby." he says. We pull up to the house and get out of the car. Walking inside, I head to my room and Hernan follows me. "Are you okay?" He asks. "I think so. That man gives me the creeps." I say. "He won't touch you. I promise." he says. I turn to look at him and ask "What are we doing?" He walks over to me and kisses me softly and he says "Taking over Harlem and ruling it with my Queen." he says. "Your Queen?" I ask. "Arabella, you are mine just like I am yours. We will rule Harlem together. You have a good head on your shoulder and I need someone like you by my side." he says. I nod. He kisses me softly and I ask, "Can I sleep with you tonight?" He smiles softly and says "Whatever my Queen wants." He pulls me close and I wrap my arms around him and lay my head on his chest. He's been better to me than Jake ever was.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I wake up the next morning and I feel Hernan's arms around me and feel his breath on my neck. I lay there, just enjoying it while I can because I know any minute he's going to realize that taking me in was a mistake. I sneak out of bed without waking him and head to the kitchen to cook. Ham and cheese omelette, bacon and hashbrowns. I walk back up to Hernan's room and see him starting to stir. "Breakfast is done." I say from the door. "Come here." he says. I walk over to the bed and he takes my hand and pulls me to him. "Are you okay?" he asks. I nod my head but don't say anything. I pull away and get to the door before I say "I'll have your plate fixed by the time you get downstairs." He just nods and says "Okay."

I sit his plate on the island with his coffee as he sits down. I start to clean up the kitchen and he says "Come eat." I go on cleaning the kitchen. He walks over to me and pulls me to him and says "What's wrong?" I just nod and say "Just want to get this cleaned up." I pull away. "You know you don't have to pull away. It's okay to sit and eat." he tells me. "I know. I'll eat later." I tell him. "Eat now. Please." he says gently. I nod and put the rag down before grabbing a plate and eating a little. Once we both finish eating, I finish cleaning the kitchen. Once I'm done with that, he walks over and pins me to the counter. Cupping my face, he kisses me softly and starts to deepen the kiss. Sitting me up on the counter, he's between my legs, still kissing me but not pushing for anything. I start to pull away and he says "Just let yourself enjoy it. It's okay." he says. He kisses me again and I finally do enjoy it.

After a little making out in the kitchen, he leads me to the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he pulls me to him and turns on a movie. Neither of us say anything for a while. I finally decide that I can't let Jake get into my head anymore, I decide to do something bold. I move to straddle him. I start kissing him and he kisses back. When we come up for air, I ask "Is this okay?" He smiles and says "Oh yeah. Definitely okay." He starts kissing me again but doesn't push me farther.

That night, we head to bed and I get into his bed again. Laying my head on his chest, he tilts my head up and kisses me again. I pull him to hover over me and say "I need you." He looks at me as if asking if I'm sure. I pull him closer and kiss him softly and say "I need you Hernan. Show me how you feel." He kisses me deeply before slowly undressing us both. He looks into my eyes as he slowly enters me. Thrusting in and out at a slow and steady pace, I feel something I haven't in awhile. Pleasure. "Hernan, please don't stop." I almost beg. "You're mine Bella. All mine." he says softly as he kisses his way down my neck. I feel myself getting close and before I know it, I feel my release and he finds his right behind me. He stays hovered over me for a minute before looking at me to see if I am okay. I feel a tear fall and he asks "Why are you crying baby?" I look at him and smile and say "For the first time in my life, I'm okay." He kisses me softly before laying next to me and pulls me as close as he can get me.

The next morning, I wake up and feel Hernan breathing on the back of my neck. We are still naked from the night before. I turn, facing him and start to kiss his chest. Kissing my way up to his neck, I reach between us and start to stroke his manhood seeing he's already hard. I kiss his lips and he softly thrusts into my hand. "Good morning Hernan." I say. "Good morning Baby." he says before hovering over me. I smile softly at him as he enters me slowly and starts making love to me all over again. I could really get used to this.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After we both reach our release, we get up and I start breakfast while he's in the shower. Once we finish eating, I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable, I look at Hernan and say "I need to pick up a few things. Is that okay?" I ask. "Sure. I'll have Bruno take you. Just tell him where you need to go." he tells me before handing me his credit card. I tell him "I have a little money." He tells me "Put it on the card. Whatever you need. If you see something you want, get it." he tells me. "Thank you." I say. Kissing me softly he says "Thank me by staying with me." I nod and he kisses me again.

Bruno pulls up and we head out. "Where to Ms Ford?" Bruno asks. "Marlon St. There's a shop called Careless." I tell him and he heads there. "I won't be long." I tell him. "I'll be right here." he tells me as he stands guard outside the car. Walking into the shop, I head to the section that has what I am looking for. I want to buy a couple of nice things to wear for him. He's been good to me but I need to make sure that I keep him interested or he will realized he made a mistake. I look through some of the items and pick out a few things. Turning a corner, I see Jake standing there with a new girl. I go to turn and he says "Bella? What the hell are you doing here?" he asks. I stop. "Shopping." I tell him. "You can't afford the shit here. Do they even carry it in your size?" he asks. "Just leave me alone, Jake." I say and try to walk away. He grabs my arm and asks "You really think that guy that took you in really wants your fat ass? You're disgusting. He's probably going to make you one of his whores. He'll find out you can't even do that right. He'll realize soon enough that you're worthless." he tells me. I feel the tears fill my eyes. I put the things I picked out down and head out the door.

I walk outside with my head down and see Bruno standing there. I take out the credit card and hand it to Bruno. "Please tell Shades thank you. I'll come by and get my things." I tell him as I try to walk away. "Ms Ford? What happened?" he asks. "Nothing. Just please tell him thank you." I say and I turn to leave. He grabs my arm and says "Let me take you home. I'm not letting you go until you get in the car." he says. Giving up, I get into the car and he takes me home. Walking inside, I go to the guest room and close the door, locking it.

A few minutes later, there's a knock on the door and I hear Hernan on the other side. "Baby, open up. Talk to me." he says. I take my bags out and start to pack. All of a sudden, I hear a noise on the other side of the door and it opens. Hernan sees me packing and asks "Where are you going?" I don't look at him, but as I keep packing, I say "Bruno has your credit card. Thank you for helping me but I can't stay here." I tell him. He grabs my hands and asks "Why can't you stay?" I don't look at him. "Bruno said you were fine when you went in but upset and wouldn't look at him when you came out. Tell me what happened." he says softly. The tears start to fall again and he pulls me to him. Sitting down on the bed, he pulls me to his lap and I hear the door close. "Talk to me." he says. I stand up and walk away from him and this time he doesn't follow. "I went to this little shop that I loved to look around in. I couldn't afford anything in there but I liked looking around. I was picking out a few things that I thought you would like and I ran into Jake." I tell him. "Shit. What did he say baby?" he asks. "Asking me if I could afford the things in there. Asking if they even had anything to fit my fat ass. Telling me that you won't want me and that you will just whore me out." I tell him and start to sob. Hernan stands and pulls me to him. "None of that is true baby. I do want you. No one touches you but me. No one. You are not fat either. You are perfect. I care about you Bella. Please don't listen to him." he tells me and I nod. "I'll handle Jake. He won't be a problem for you anymore. Let me know what store it was and I'll have the store brought to you if that's what you want." he tells me. I just shake my head no. "That's okay." I tell him. "What shop was it?" he asks. "Careless. Over on Marlon." I tell him. "Lingerie store? Relax today. Tomorrow, you are going to that store and getting anything you want. Whatever you need." he tells me before he kisses me softly. "You're mine baby. And I'm yours. That's it."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hernan tilts my head up once I calm down and says "Why don't you take a bubble bath and watch a movie. I'll have Bruno stay guard here and I'll take Quinton and have another talk with Jake." he says. "Don't. It's not worth it." I tell him. "Having my girl upset makes it worth it baby. Just take a bath and relax and I'll be back soon." he says before kissing me softly. "Remember, you're mine. Nothing changes that and I love every curve. You're perfect baby." he says softly. I nod but still don't look him in the eye. Hernan walks out the door with Quinton in tow and I head to the kitchen to bake. That's what I do when I'm stressed out. I bake.

Hernan pulls up to the house that he moved me out of and knocks on the door. When Jake answers and sees it's Hernan, he tries to close the door but not before Hernan makes his way in. "Hello Jake. Looks like we need to have a little chat." Hernan says. "What do you want?" Jake asks. "I told you that if you spoke to Bella again, I would come back for you. Apparently you didn't think I was serious." Hernan says. "I didn't say anything." Jake says. "You didn't tell her she was fat or that I was going to whore her out? You didn't tell her that I wouldn't want her?" Hernan asks and Jake goes pale. "You see, Bella's my girl. I care about her. But I can't treat her like the Queen she is when there's trash like you putting lies in my girl's head. That stops right now." Hernan says. He takes out his gun with the silencer on it and fires five rounds into Jakes stomach at close range. Once he bleeds out, Quinton helps Hernan dispose of the body.

A little later, Hernan comes in with Quinton behind him when I take the banana bread out of the oven. Looking at the counter, there's four batches of cupcakes, two cakes and three loaves of banana bread. "I thought you were going to relax?" Hernan asks. "This is how I relax. I stress bake." I tell him, still not looking at him. Quinton and Bruno go to leave and I say "Take some of this food with you." They each grab a container and say thank you before walking out. Hernan comes up to me as I am kneading another loaf of bread. "Come here." he says. "I really need to get this in the oven." I say. "Come here baby." he says. I stop kneading and he says "You won't have anymore issues out of Jake. I promise." he says and I don't ask questions. "Tomorrow, I'm having Bruno take you back to that store to get what you want." he tells me. "That's okay." I tell him, pulling away. "Please don't do that." he says and I don't say anything. "Don't close yourself off." he says pulling me to him and tilting my head to make me look at him. "You are so beautiful. I want you to have the best of everything. If you want something from that store, we'll get it." he tells me. Looking down at my feet, I say "I was only going there to make sure I kept you interested. I don't want you to wake up and realize that me being here is a mistake." I tell him. "It will never be a mistake and you don't need lingerie to keep me interested but if you want something to show off how beautiful you are then we'll get it. I want you to feel good about yourself. I want you to feel sexy and wanted. Because you are sexy and wanted." he tells me. "Hernan…" I start. "You. Are. Wanted." he says simply.

He sits me up on the counter and kisses me softly. "You're my Queen sweetheart. I will always want you and always protect you. Just please don't leave." he tells me. "Okay." I say simply. He looks into my eyes before kissing me again. Picking me up, he carries me to the bedroom where he makes love to me and the entire time telling me how perfect I am.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After we both reach our release, I lay with my head on his chest just thinking. He makes me feel so good but I just can't get all the shit I've dealt with out of my head. "What are you thinking?" he asks. "I'm okay." I tell him. Tilting my head to look at him he says "Talk to me." Pulling away from him, I lay facing him and he turns to face me but we don't touch. "When you say the things you do, I want to believe you. I want to feel like I'm beautiful and wanted but I can't get all the things Jake said out of my head." I tell him. "That will take time baby but I'll be here reminding you every day if that's what it takes." he says. I snuggle into his chest and feel him kiss the top of my head. "I have an idea." he says. I look up at him and he says "Let's go shopping." I shake my head and say "That's okay." as I start to pull away. "Get dressed. I want to take you to get your hair done and new clothes. I want you to feel better about yourself and showing you how beautiful you are will help you see that." he says and I just nod.

After getting dressed, Quinton shows up to pick us up. "Where to?" Quinton asks. "Careless." Hernan says. I look at him shocked and he says "I want to get you something as sexy as you are." I lean my head against his shoulder and he kisses the top of my head. We head into Careless and start to browse the shelves. "Do you want me to stay with you?" he asks. "Yeah. I want your opinion." I tell him. I look on the racks next and pick out a few things. Walking to the dressing room, I try on the first one. It's a one piece black with soft purple accents, garter belts and stockings. "I'm coming out." I tell him. "Okay." he says. I step out and look up at him shyly and he's just looking at me, not saying anything. "Hernan?" I ask. After a minute, he steps forward and says "Please get that one. You look amazing." I nod. Before I head back he grabs my hand. Leading me to the mirror he stands me in front of it and stands behind me. Whispering in my ear, he says "You see that beautiful woman standing there? Sexy and all mine. That's what I see when I look at you." he tells me. I turn in his arms and say "Thank you." Kissing me softly, he says "Go try on the next one." I step into the dressing room and try on the next one, then the next one. I leave the store with four new sets of lingerie and a very worked up Hernan.

Getting to the next shop, we see a saleswoman approaching. "Can I help you?" she asks. "My girlfriend here wants a new look. Something sexy but sophisticated." he tells her. Taking my hand she says "I'll take care of everything." She leads me away and an hour later, I have twelve new tops and several skirts and dress pants as well as jeans and shoes. The next stop is to get my hair and nails done. After that's done, we head home where Bruno is arriving with dinner. "I would have cooked." I tell him. "I know but I wanted you to relax." he tells me. "You look amazing Ms Ford." Bruno says. "Thank you." I say softly.

After we eat, we head to bed. I put on one of the lingerie items that I bought. Stepping out of the bathroom with my robe around me, I lean against the doorframe trying to look sexy. "You gonna let me see what's under that robe?" he asks. I slowly start to untie the sashe and slowly open the robe, actually feeling sexy for once. He sees that it's a two piece, Black and pink lace bra and boyshorts set with stockings and garters and the bottom of the panties show just a small, teasing amount of ass. I drop the robe and turn for him to see all of it and he says "Come here." I walk over to the bed and he pulls me down. "You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen. Fuck." he says, kissing me deeply. He runs his hand down my chest, to my stomach, and then to my panty covered core. Running his fingers along my folds through the fabric his breath catches and he growls when he realizes that they are crotchless. He rests his head on my chest and I start to think something's wrong. "Hernan?" I ask. He looks up at me and says "You are going to be the death of me woman." Kissing me hard, he pulls the panties off of me and enters me slowly before making love to me all night, telling me how sexy I am and for the first time in my life, I believe him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next morning, I am still in bed, naked with Hernan's arms around me. My back is to his front and I can't seem to get close enough to him. I lay there thinking about the night before. That was the first time that I have felt sexy and not let my insecurities get to me. I decide to get up and make him breakfast. I try to sneak out of bed but he pulls me tighter. I turn in his arms, facing him and kiss him softly. "I'm going to start breakfast. Go back to sleep." I say softly. He releases me and mumbles "Okay babe." I slip out of the room and get breakfast started. Once the food is done, I go back to our room and climb onto the bed. Leaning down, I whisper in his ear. "Breakfast is ready, Hernan." I feel him pull me to him and he kisses me softly. "I'll be down in a minute." He kisses me again and I head down to get his plate ready.

Once he comes downstairs, I put his plate in front of him with his coffee and go to get mine but he grabs my hand and pulls me to him for a kiss before saying "Thank you baby." I nod before getting my own coffee and plate. Sitting down across from him, we start eating and I ask "What's the plan for the day?" He swallows the bite he has in his mouth and says "Hanging here today unless one of the guys calls. Why?" he asks. "I was going to see if I could use your computer and do some job applications." I tell him. "You don't need a job. You take care of me and the house and we're good." he tells me and I nod. "I don't want to just depend on you." I tell him. "You won't be. You said something about wanting to start your own business. I figured while you are taking some time to relax, that we would see what needed to be done to get your shop opened. You said you loved to make handmade items. Let's see what needs to be done to get you there." He tells me. "Are you serious?" I ask. "I am. But there's one catch." he says. "What's that?" I ask. "You have to agree that when you're ready, you'll be my Queen." he says. "I thought you said I already was?" I ask. "Yes but you'll have my last name." he says. I smile softly and say "You have a deal." He kisses me softly and then says "I want to show you something." He takes my hand and leads me to one of the spare rooms. Opening the door, I see a sewing machine set up with fabric and other materials that I need for the items that I make. "Hernan. When did you do this?" I ask. "The other day, while we were shopping. Quinton's wife and Bruno's girl helped get it set up and help figure out what materials you would need." he tells me. "I'd like to do something nice for them. This is perfect and these fabrics are amazing. I love these patterns." I tell him. I walk over to him and say "Now I have something to show you."

I lead him to our room and shut the door behind us. I lead him to the bed and sit him down before I move to the walk in closet to change. "What are you doing?" he aks. "You'll see. Just stay there." I tell him. A couple of minutes later, I walk out to the bedroom and I have my robe on. I move closer to him but not close enough to touch and I start to slowly take off the robe revealing a two piece lace bra and thong set. The are white with black accents. I look at him and see that he's running his hand down his face and I have learned that this is a good thing. "Come here Bella." he says. I walk over to him and he takes my hand and pulls me between his legs. Looking up at me he says "You are so fucking perfect." I lean down and kiss him softly and say "I feel perfect. Thank you Hernan." He kisses me and pulls me down onto the bed before hovering over me. We start the shed clothes and he enters me. Thrusting in and out slowly, his head buried in my neck, I hear him say "God, I love you." I feel the tears start to fall and pull his face to look at me and say "I love you too."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After we both reach our release, we lay there together just enjoying the quiet. "What are you thinking?" Hernan asks. I look up at him and say "You have no clue how much you have done for me." He kisses me softly and says "You've done just as much for me." I look at him confused and he says "I was lonely and needed a good, loyal woman to stand by me. You've given me that." he says. I smile softly and say "As much as you have done for me, how could I not be loyal." I tell him. He reaches over to the nightstand and pulls out a small ring box. "I meant what I said. I want you to be my Queen. Have my last name." he tells me as he takes the ring out of the box. Sliding it on my finger, he says "Marry me." I kiss him softly and say "Yes." He turns me over and enters me again. Thrusting in and out slowly, he whispers "I love you so much Bella." I whisper against his lips "I love you more." Once we reach another release, we lay there a few more minutes before getting up and finally getting dressed.

We leave the bedroom and he heads to his office and I go to look at my workroom. Sitting at the sketching desk, I start to sketch out the first doll I will make in my workroom. "That looks amazing baby." Hernan says as he looks over my shoulder. "Thanks. Once I draw them out, I start cutting pieces and embroidering the faces on. Each doll has a different name." I tell him. "What's this one's name?" he asks. "Emilio." I tell him and he looks at me shocked. "My middle name?" he asks. "Yeah. This one will be kept for our first baby." I tell him. "You want babies with me?" he asks. "Lots of babies." I tell him as I kiss him softly. "Well, I'll let you get Emilio made." he tells me before heading into his office to get some work done.

A couple of hours later, I knock on his office door. He looks up and sees me standing there with my hand behind my back. "I wanted to show you." I say and I take the doll out from behind my back. He takes it from me and says "This is incredible." he tells me. "Thanks." I tell him. "How are you wanting to do your shop?" he asks. "I was thinking about doing it online and maybe do a couple of pop up shops once in awhile." I tell him. "That sounds like a good idea babe. You really thought this out didn't you?" he asks. "I've been thinking about this for years." I tell him. "Well, we'll make it happen." he says and I walk over and kiss him.

I spent the rest of the day in my workroom and finally come out to make dinner. "How many did you get done?" he asks. "Twenty-two." I tell him. "Nice. You have names for them yet?" he asks. "Yeah, I embroider the names in the butt of them." I tell him and he smiles. "What do you want for dinner?" I ask. "Bruno is picking dinner up for us. Figured you worked enough today." he tells me. I sit next to him and say "I still would have cooked." He smiles and says "I know." He pulls me close and asks "Have you thought about what kind of wedding you want?" I look at him and say "I don't want a wedding. I don't have any family. Can we go to the courthouse?" I ask. "If that's what you want but baby I want you to have a wedding if it's what you want." he says. "I know but I don't want a big wedding. Just me and you and a Justice is fine with me." I say. "You thought about when?" He asks. "Well, since I decided how we get married, you can decide when." I tell him. "Tomorrow." He tells me. I look at him shocked and he says "I want you as my wife as soon as possible." I smile and say "Tomorrow it is then." I kiss him softly before snuggling close to him.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next morning, we get up and get dressed and head to the courthouse. An hour later, we are husband and wife. Walking into the house, he pulls me to the bedroom and pushes me down on the bed. I laugh as he hovers over me and crashes his lips with mine in a soul searing kiss. He looks at me and says "I love you Bella Alvarez." I smile and say "I love you too Hernan. More than anything." We continue to make love for the first time as husband and wife.

Once we both reach our release, we spend the rest of the day just cuddled in bed, only getting out to get something to eat. The next morning, I get up before Hernan and when he finally gets up he finds me in my workroom. "Hey baby." he says. "Hey." I say as I take a break from my embroidery. "You started early." he says. "I want to get more done. I have an idea to run by you." I say. "Okay." he says, listening. "I was thinking about doing some kind of give back program with my business." I say. "I'm listening." he says. "Maybe for every doll sold, one doll is donated to the local children's hospital." I say. "That's a great idea babe. Balance out the karma." he says. "Exactly." I say. "Let's do it. I have someone coming today to take pictures of the ones you've made and help get the site up and running." he tells me and I look at him shocked. "What my Queen wants my Queen gets." he tells me and I smile. "You know that goes both ways right? What my King wants my King gets." I say. He pulls me close and says "Well, right now, the King wants his Queen moaning his name." He kisses me deeply before picking me up and putting me down on the couch in my workroom. He kisses down my neck as he unbuttons my top. I start pulling his shirt over his head and we finish shedding clothes. He enters me slowly and slowly makes loves to me until we both reach our release. We start to redress and he pulls me close and we just sit for a few minutes. "I love you Hernan." I say. "I love you more Bella. I hope you know that." he says. "I do baby. I do." I say as I lay my head against his chest.

That evening, I have made twenty-five more dolls and the website is up and running. "I was thinking, once we see what kind of traffic the website gets, we can hire you an assistant to handle things like shipping and little odds and ends that you need done." he tells me. "We'll see." I tell him. He looks at me and says "What would you say to us trying for a baby?" he asks and I look at him shocked. "Hernan, we literally just got married." I say. "You don't want kids?" he asks. "I do want kids. How about this. We don't try but we don't try to prevent it. Let it happen when it's supposed to." I tell him. "Fair enough." He says before hovering over me. "Let's don't try." he says before crashing his lips with mine as we undress for another round in bed.

After reaching our release, we lay there curled up together and I hear his breathing start to even out telling me he's asleep. But I can't sleep. I lay there thinking. _I had a shitty mother. How the hell am I going to be a good one?_ I ask myself. I lay awake most of the night before slipping out of bed and into the workroom. Working seems to help me clear my mind. A little later, Hernan comes in with a cup of coffee for him and one for me and says "Bruno is bringing breakfast." I nod and keep working. "You okay baby?" He asks. I look at him and say "Yeah. Just working through some shit." I tell him. "Talk to me." He says. "Just...talking about kids last night. I had a shitty mom and I'm just scared that if we have kids that I won't know how to be a good mom." I say. "Sweetheart, I didn't have my mom or dad around but as long as we love the kid and make sure that he or she has what they need, we will be ten times the parents we had." He tells me. I smile against his lips as he kisses me softly.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It's been two months and the website is running great. I've sold over one hundred dolls so far and donated one hundred more to the children's hospital. Hernan hired me an assistant, Lisa, and she's working out great. We stop working and walk to the kitchen to eat and Hernan had hired a housekeeper so that I could do my business full time. Sitting at the island, eating, I run to the trash can sick. "Mrs Alvarez? Are you okay dear?" Miss Martha asks. "Yes ma'am. I don't know what came over me." I say, confused. "Mrs Alvarez, could you be pregnant?" she asks. I look at her for a second and then my eyes go wide. "I think you need to see a doctor dear." she says. "I think I do." I say shocked. "I'll handle everything here and Miss Martha can handle the house so go." Lisa tells me smiling, knowing we have been trying. I call Bruno and tell him I need to run an errand. "Where to Bella?" he asks. "Dr Cooper's office." I tell him and he looks at me worried. "I'm okay. Just need to see her." I tell him and he starts driving. Walking into the office, I sign in and am called back. "What seems to be the problem today Bella?" she asks. "I need a pregnancy test done." I tell her. We get the blood drawn and she rushes the test through. It isn't long before Dr Cooper comes in and says "Looks like you are indeed pregnant. Let's get an ultrasound done and see how far along you are." she says and I nod. After the ultrasound, I find out that I am six weeks pregnant.

I walk into the house and Hernan is home. "There you are. Martha told me you went to the doctor. Are you okay?" he asks worried. I hand him the ultrasound picture and he looks at me shocked. "Really?" He asks. "Six weeks." I tell him. He picks me up and kisses me deeply and we hear Miss Martha chuckle in the background. "Looks like when the little one gets here, we'll need a nanny to help while you work." he tells me. Miss Martha speaks up. "I raised all five of my kids on my own. No need for a nanny with Nana Marth is perfectly capable of helping out." she tells us. "Nana Martha?" Hernan asks with a smile. "That baby needs a Nana to spoil him or her. Might as well be me." she says smiling. "Nana Martha it is then." I say.

After everyone leaves, Hernan and I are lying in bed and he's rubbing my stomach. "I can't believe we're having a baby." he says. "I know. Are you happy about it?" I ask, my insecurities creeping in. "Of course. Aren't you?" he asks. "I'm really happy about it." I tell him, smiling softly. He kisses me softly and never takes his hand off my stomach. "At least I can still work with me working from home." I tell him. "Yeah. You can. You know, I'm really proud of you." he tells me. I look at him confused. "Look at how you were when we met compared to how you are now. You let me in. You let me love you. Now, we're married, having a baby and you have your own business. You aren't the girl you were when we met." he tells me. "I'm not. And I have you to thank for that." I tell him. "Just how thankful are you?" he asks, smirking. "Oh so thankful." I tell him as I move to straddle him. Pulling my shirt over my head, I slide his boxers down, releasing his hard member and move my panties to the side as I slide onto his hard member. Sliding up and down at a fast and hard pace, he has one hand on my hip and the other on the back of my neck, pulling me down to crash his lips with mine in a searing kiss. I moan into the kiss before we come up for air, me still riding his hard cock. "Fuck baby. Don't stop. That feels so fucking good." he moans. I bury my face in the crook of his neck as I ride hard and fast until my core clamps down on his hard cock as I feel it pulse inside of me, releasing his seed inside of me. I look at him as we try to catch our breath and he says "I love you so fucking much." I smile and say "I love you too Hernan."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Waking up the next morning, I try to slip out of bed but Hernan tightens his hold on me. "I need to pee." I say laughing a little. He lets go and after I finish my business, I climb back into bed. I lay next to him and feel him pulling me as close as he can get. I feel him place a kiss to my neck and I turn in his arms. I look up at him and he kisses me softly. "I love you." he says. "I love you more." I tell him. We snuggle back up and I fall back to sleep. When we wake up again, we get up and head to the kitchen. Walking in, Martha is plating our food. I sit down and start to eat the eggs, toast and bacon. The smell of the sausage makes me gag so Martha takes it away for me. "Well we know one thing the baby doesn't like." Martha jokes and we laugh. After breakfast, I head up to my workroom and an hour later Lisa shows up to get started boxing up orders. Once that's done, Hernan walks in and I ask if he can deliver another three boxes of dolls to the hospital for me so he pulls out his phone and makes the arrangements for that.

That afternoon, I am embroidering faces when I look up and see Bruno standing there. "Bella, I need you to come with me." he says and I know something's wrong. "What is it?" I ask, standing up and moving towards the door. He leads me down the stairs. "I'll explain on the way." he tells me. We get into the car and he tells me, "We were meeting with an associate and the meeting went bad. Guy pulled his gun on Shades and he took two to the chest." he tells me. "Oh my God." I say as the tears start and I place my hand on my stomach.

Walking up to the nursing station, I say "My husband was brought in. Hernan Alvarez?" I ask. "He's still in surgery. I'll take you to the waiting room." she says as she leads us down the hall. We get to the waiting room and she says "Someone will be in shortly to fill you in." Bruno looks at her and says "Thank you." I sit in one of the chairs and Bruno sits next to me and rubs my back. "I can't lose him Bruno. We can't lose him." I tell him as I rub my stomach. "Bella, he's not going anywhere. He'll be here to see the little monster get here." he tells me and I nod. "I hope you're right." I tell him.

An hour later, the nurse comes out and asks "Alvarez family?" I stand and say "I'm his wife." She looks at me and says "Your husband took two to the chest. The doctor was able to remove both slugs but these next forty-eight hours are crucial. He'll be in a room in a few minutes and I can take you to him. But only two at a time and only family." she says. "Bruno Jones and Quinton Lawson need to be added to his list." I tell her and she nods. She walks back through the door and I just stand there. The tears start to fall again and Bruno pulls me to him and rubs my back. "He's gonna be okay. He's okay." she tells me. A few minutes later, the nurse comes back out to get us. Walking us to the room, she tells me, "When you walk in, he's going to be hooked up to the machines but they are only there to assist. He's breathing on his own but we want to keep him on the vent until he wakes up so he doesn't have to work as hard." she tells me. I walk into the room and move to Hernan's side. Taking his hand, I kiss his knuckles as I take the seat next to his bed and wait.

I had been sitting there all night when Quinton came in to relieve Bruno. "Quinton's here. I'm gonna go rest. You call me if you need me." Bruno says. I don't take my eyes off my husband but say "Thank you." He walks out and Quinton walks in. "Morning Bella." he tells me. "Morning." I say. "I brought breakfast. Martha made it for you." he tells me. "I'm not hungry." I tell him. "Hungry or not you need to feed the baby. Shades will be mad when he wakes up and finds out you haven't eaten." he tells me and I realize he said 'will be mad' and 'when he wakes up' and I ask. "You're right." I tell him. Taking the food, I eat what Martha sent before taking his hand again. A little later, I sit on the side of his bed and place his hand on my stomach. "Please wake up baby. We need you. You're little monster needs you to wake up." I say. I lean closer to whisper in his ear "I love you Hernan. I need you here to help me raise our baby. Please don't leave me." and I find myself sobbing. Quinton walks over and rubs my back. I feel him squeeze my hand and I look up at his face quickly and see his eyes are fluttering open. "Hernan?" I ask. "Hey." he rasps. I get him water and he takes a drink. "Hey baby." he says. I lean down and kiss his lips softly as the tears start to fall again. "I'm okay baby." He whispers before wrapping on arm around me, holding me close.


End file.
